A Twist on the Story
by Mighty Lion
Summary: Astrid Bowen is now going to the same school as the Pevensies, and ends up going with them to Narnia and helping Prince Caspian get his crown back. Full summary inside. This is my first actual story, so please be kind in any reviews!
1. It's My First Day!

**A Twist in the Story**

**Summary**: A new American student, Astrid Bowen, now goes to the same school as the Pevensies. She ends up being whisked away to Narnia with the siblings to help Caspian take back his crown. But Astrid may not be all she seems to be. In fact, she may not even be human..looks can be deceiving.

**Disclaimer: I do not own Chronicles of Narnia, only Astrid and any other characters I may add in. Nor do I own InuYasha, although certain themes will be taken from this anime/manga.**

Chapter 1: It's My First Day!

Astrid looked up at her new school and smirked-her form of a smile-in excitement. She was glad to start somewhere new; she had hated the old school she went to in California. '_I'll be able to meet new people here, and keep up the act better this time around. No one will be able to find out. I'll make sure of it.' _Astrid thought to herself as she walked into the office of the building. She waited behind 2 people in front of her, but when she got to the front, she faltered slightly. The woman looked at her and wondered, '_Who is this? Oh, she must be new..I hope she doesn't cause trouble. Heaven knows we need more children in detention.'_ Astrid said quietly, "Excuse me ma'am, but I'm new here and need my schedule."

A short while later, Astrid stopped in front of a classroom and Mrs. Garisson, the secretary whom Astrid had asked for help earlier, opened the door and walked in. The bell had already rung a while ago, the class was full of children and the teacher, a middle-aged man was giving a lecture. Mrs. Garisson went up to the teacher and spoke to him in a soft voice. He looked over at Astrid, and beckoned her into the classroom. She walked in and noticed the kids looked about two years older than she did. The numerous advanced classes she had taken at her school in America had put her in a year that was ahead of the actual year she would be in according to her age. She looked around and allowed herself a bit of relief when no one made faces at her appearance, her disguise was working.

When she got to the man's desk, she quietly waited until he spoke to her. He looked at her a moment, wondering, '_According to Garisson, this girl's grades are exceptionally high, and she should be in this year. Well, I'll see about that. I must say though, this girl has a strange air about her..Almost royal, but cold at the same time..'_ He finally spoke to her, "Hello Ms. Bowen, my name is Mr. Hensley, but I prefer to be called by my first name, Atticus. So please, just call me that, but no ridiculous nicknames. Now, tell us something about yourself. Where you're from, what your hobbies are, why you moved here, you know all those sorts of things."

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**Short first chapter, I know, but I didn't want to get ahead of myself just yet. Wow..I just realized how embarrassingly short this is. I'll put up the next one when I can. Please R&R! :)**


	2. There Is No Us

**There Is No Us**

Astrid turned to the class and glanced around at the faces, She sighed internally and said, "Um..Hello,my name is Astrid Bowen, and I'm 16 years old. I'm from San Fransisco, California. I'm an only child, but I do have a pet cat. I like to read a lot, and listen to music, but I also like to shop every now and then, and go out with friends. I've been taking lessons in archery since I was about 10. And that's about it, I guess.." she trailed off slowly. The students sort of stared at her before breaking out into questions about what her old home and school were like, why she moved, how different this school was from her old one, etc. Astrid answered as many questions as she could, then was sent to a seat. When class was resumed, Astrid looked over at the girl next to her. The girl had slightly pale skin, dark brown hair, and light blue eyes. _'She's pretty, I hope she doesn't turn out to be one of those girls that's one of those popular rich girls.' _Astrid thought, but then noticed something that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. The girl seemed almost as pale as she was in her true form, Astrid realized. '_She couldn't be..could she..?'_ Astrid wondered, but quickly dismissed the thought.

When class was over, Astrid walked up to Atticus and said, "Mr-Atticus, sorry. I was wondering if you could help with my schedule and showing me around? I don't understand this sort of system." Atticus smiled and exclaimed, "Of course! I was waiting for you to ask me about this. I understand the American school system is quite different. Hmm..Susan! Would you come here for a moment?" The girl that had been sitting next to Astrid had been making her way to the door, but turned around and walked toward them. Susan looked at Astrid and smiled kindly towards her. Atticus explained the situation and Susan gladly agreed to help Astrid out. The two went off together and Susan explained the schedule and told Astrid everything she needed to know about the school.

It was lunch time, and by that time the two girls had become fast friends. Susan led Astrid to the table she usually sat at with her three siblings. Susan turned to Astrid and said, "Astrid, these are my brothers and sister. Peter is the oldest, he's the one with the blonde hair. Edmund, he's a year younger than me. You're actually supposed to be in his year. And then there's Lucy, the youngest. Everyone, this is Astrid Bowen, she's new here, from California." Astrid smiled as each Pevensie waved or smiled at the sound of their name. Well, all except Edmund, he just glanced at her and kept silent. When Astrid saw him, her smile faltered a bit. He was almost as pale as Susan, paler in fact. _'He has to be one of us!'_the voice that was usually quiet shouted in her head. '_No, you are part of me, remember that. There is no __us__.'_ Astrid countered to her other self, which usually chose not to get involved with anything she did and stayed quiet. She got to know the other Pevensies and found that they were all great fun to be around. Astrid talked to Peter about books and things about school, Susan and her discussed clothing, and she adored Lucy's constant happiness. Edmund, although she had tried to make conversation with him, said a few things here and there, but remained silent for most of the lunch hour, just sitting by Peter.

As lunch ended and the eldest Pevensie girl and Astrid were walking to their last classes, Susan said, "Don't worry about Edmund not talking too much. He doesn't really take easily to meeting new people, he likes to observe them before befriending them." Astrid wondered aloud, "So should I be worried he'll be staring at me then?" Susan laughed at the dry remark and said, "No, you don't have to worry at all. Edmund will find a way to observe without being seen." And with a laugh, Susan left Astrid in front of her last class and dashed off to get to her own. Astrid wondered what she could have meant by that statement, and decided she would be on her guard should herself and Edmund Pevensie meet around school.

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**Ok, this is my second chapter. It's not much longer than the first, but I suppose more happens, right? Reviews would be wonderful! :)**


	3. Brief Interlude

**Brief Interlude**

It had been about 2 months since Astrid's first day, and she was enjoying her new home and friends. She had made other friends besides the Pevensies, but they were her favorite people to spend time with. She had grown close to them, and each had their own qualities that she loved about them.

Astrid loved Peter's sturdiness and constant support for anything his siblings did. He could be overprotective and stubborn, but it was only because he worried about his siblings' safety. But Peter tried his hardest to always help his siblings and other. He was unbelievably smart, and though teachers said he was a know-it-all and called him arrogant, he was very humble. Astrid heard some teachers speaking about Peter one day, and it had made her wonder about how her friends were before she met them.

xxXxx

"_What do you think of the oldest Pevensie, Peter?"_

"_He's very smart for his age, I must say."_

"_Yes, he is, but he's terribly arrogant. The way he answers questions and carries himself, like he expects us all to bow to him. Peter is strange, to say the least."_

"_Hmm yes, Peter does have a sort of..air of command about him. But you know all the Pevensie children have been acting extremely different since they came back from the countryside when they were shipped off during the air raids."_

"_That's very true, Edmund used to be a foul little boy, always with a bad attitude. Now look at him, he's completely different. He doesn't bully any one; he's smart and kind to everyone, and very fair. Although still quiet as ever."_

"_It doesn't make you wonder though..? Something happened while they were away in the countryside.."_

xxXxx

Since the day they had met, Astrid and Susan had been close, and now they shared everything with each other. Well, almost everything, of course Astrid hadn't told anyone her secret. They just wouldn't understand, they'd tell everyone. She would lose all she had built for herself in this new world. Though Astrid had banished those fears as time went on, she kept this secret from them. Susan was very open about herself though, but she wasn't obnoxious about it. She tried her best to always be kind to everyone, but she could stand up for herself. Her sharp voice and ice-like glare could make anyone fear her when she was angry.

Although they had gotten off to a weird start, Astrid and Edmund hadn't gotten much closer. They talked, and shared books, discussed subjects they had in common, but they didn't have the same closeness Astrid had with the other Pevensies. And she was alright with that. They were too different in personality. Edmund was quiet, smart, and fair. Astrid saw him as the mediator in the group, he always listened to both sides of an argument before coming to a decision, and he did everything he could to make sure his siblings and herself were happy. He was the kind of person who put everyone else's happiness above his own, but received no recognition for it. Astrid knew he wasn't doing good things in the hope of being thanked or praised, he did these because he was selfless, and it almost seemed like he was trying to make up for something he did in the past. She admired Edmund greatly; he was the exact opposite of her when she was in her other 'human' body.

Astrid knew acting like a human was going to be hard, but she never imagined emotions would actually influence her. It was getting hard; there was nothing more she wanted than to go back to her old self. But she knew that she had to do this to fit in with everyone else, though was strange and unsettling for Astrid, being in an actual human body and not in her 'human' body.

She loved little Lucy Pevensie and her constant joy, it put her at ease and made her feel accepted. Though Lucy was small, she was very smart and witty for a girl her age. Even though Lucy could handle things on her own, her brothers and sister still treated her like a small child. She could handle herself, but everyone was too overprotective or scared that 'Little Lucy' would get hurt. Astrid knew that the youngest Pevensie was capable of handling herself, but the others refused to see it. Lucy complained to Astrid every now and then about her siblings, but most of the time she was like a ball of energy.

As the weeks went by, Astrid slowly saw the Pevensies becoming more and more depressed. Susan and Lucy would become quiet more often, Peter started getting into fights, which Edmund usually jumped into to help Peter. But when she questioned them, they would all say that nothing was wrong, they were fine, it was nothing to worry about, etc. Soon it seemed the only thing that kept them going was the fact that holidays were coming up and they'd all get to go home to Finchely. They had invited Astrid to go with them, since it was too much money to go back to America for only a few weeks. She was excited and grateful to be going with them to their house, and none of them could wait.


	4. Fights, Trains, andNarnia?

**A/N: I don't own Chronicles of Narnia, only Astrid. I also don't own any themes/aspects/characters of InuYasha that I may use/mention in this story. Enjoy!**

**Fights, Trains, and..Narnia?**

Soon it was the day for the children to go to Finchely. They had all packed their suitcases and agreed to meet at the station. Astrid and Susan were standing at a newspaper and magazine stand across the street, looking at magazines until it was time to go inside and wait. They were reading and making comments here and there about the articles they were reading, when a boy came up near them and turned to Susan. "You go to St. Finbar's." She looked at him slowly, "That's right." "I go to Hendon House, across the road." He told her rather excitedly. When Susan just looked away-and gave Astrid a look of disbelief, he continued, "I've seen you..sitting by yourself." Astrid smirked, trying to hold in her laughter. Lately Susan had taken to sitting by herself; she seemed to be the most depressed of the Pevensies. "Yes, well, I prefer to be left alone." Susan said, with an undertone of building annoyance the poor boy couldn't pick up. "Me too," he obviously couldn't see how hard Susan was resisting the urge to roll her eyes, "what's your name?" Astrid saw Susan's expression change instantly as she smiled sweetly and said, "Phyllis." Astrid barked a laugh just as they heard, "Susan! Astrid!" as Lucy ran up to them, "You'd better come quickly."

Both girls followed Lucy into the entrance of the underground. As they pushed their way through the crowd, the girls found that, sure enough, Peter was in a fight. He was outnumbered, it was 3 to 1, and then suddenly, Edmund pushed past them to help Peter, ignoring their protests. The fight led to the tracks, one of the boys on top of Peter, with the other one trying to force his face to the tracks. When this failed, he kicked him in the stomach. Edmund knocked one boy down and was fighting him when guards came in and broke up the fight. "Act your age!" one said to Peter as he pushed them away. Soon they were all sitting on a bench waiting for their train. Edmund put the last suitcase with the rest of them before sitting down between Astrid and Peter. "You're welcome." He said to Peter, who snapped, "I had it sorted." Astrid zoned out of the conversation until she heard Peter say, "How long does he expect us to wait?" as he sat back down in his seat. '_Wait? Who are they waiting for?'_

Astrid was about to ask the latter question, when the lights of the station started flickering..a train came through at blurring speed, and the tiles started falling off the walls. Astrid was too confused to focus on anything until Edmund grabbed on to her hand and held it tightly. The children looked around when the train stopped. It had vanished! They were in a great cave, but could see a light, and smell..the ocean? Astrid followed behind the Pevensies as they came to the mouth of the cave and saw a beautiful beach. Astrid immediately noticed her senses had become sharper than they were in London. She saw Susan and Lucy laugh as they started to run down the beach. Peter and Edmund soon followed, calling out taunts to one another. Astrid slowly walked the beach, taking in as much as she could with her heightened senses. She had wandered to the bottom of the cliffs but could hear the Pevensies splashing and yelling in the surf. She turned when she saw, out of the corner of her eye, that Edmund looking towards her with a huge grin on his face. Astrid had never noticed, but Edmund had freckles dotted across his nose and cheeks. '_His hair looks good all wind-swept.'_ She snapped herself out of her thoughts when he said, "I don't remember any ruins in Narnia." Astrid glanced over at Edmund, '_What's Narnia? Is this it..? They must have been here before to know what it's called..' _She looked up, and saw giant pillars of marble and stone. They all looked up at the rubble quietly. It wasn't long before they started their way up to where the ruins were.

Everyone was silent the whole way up, looking at their surroundings. Astrid slowly walked behind the group, she could see a lot more than the others, enough to see carvings and engravings in the rocks from over 20 feet away, and enough to know that no animals were anywhere near them. She looked up quickly when she heard a small yelp of surprise to see that Edmund had slipped on a rock and was tumbling backwards. Towards her. She just sighed and braced herself for impact. When he hit her, Astrid dug her feet into the dirt and braced her legs. She put one hand on his waist and the other on his shoulder and gave him a small push forward. As he righted himself, Edmund looked back at Astrid, his face as red as a tomato. He sheepishly said, "Thanks. Didn't know you had so much strength in such a small body." with a slight chuckle. Astrid laughed and said, "Any time. You're surprisingly big for looking so skinny. Uhh..not that that's a bad thing..you know what I mean right?" She finished with a laugh. He laughed as well and replied, "Yeah, I know what you mean, I actually get that a lot." The two laughed even more at this, before looking around and realizing the others weren't within sight. "I can't see or hear them, do you think they've gone far ahead?" asked Edmund as he looked around, extremely alert. Astrid felt her ears twitch as she picked up voices less than a mile away. "They probably haven't gotten too far. Maybe they realized we weren't with them anymore." The two walked on until they caught up with Peter, Susan, and Lucy.

They reached the ruins a few minutes later, and they split up and wandered around what looked to be broken pillars, staircases, and pathways. The Pevensies looked around in wonder, as if trying to figure something out. All Astrid wanted to know why they were here and how the Pevensies seemed to know about this place. '_I'm only keeping quiet because it seems like they know this land. But if this is new to them, then I might have to figure this out on my own.' _Astrid thought this while looking out over what was left of a balcony. She was deep in thought, when she felt her ears twitch, and she heard her name being called. Astrid walked over to where her friends' voices were coming from, and saw that they had changed. Peter and Edmund were wearing long sleeved shirts with smaller, short sleeved shirts over them, and trouser-like pants that were tucked into boots. Susan was wearing a pale lavender dress with long sleeves, and Lucy was wearing a similar red one. The dresses looked light enough for them to run in if they had to. Susan saw Astrid and said, "Oh, we have to get you changed!" so she and Lucy led Astrid into a strange room and down a staircase to a deeper, underground level. There were four chests with what seemed to be statues of kings and queens behind them. Susan went over to one of them and pulled out a light blue dress that was similar to hers, but with the sleeves ending just past the elbow. "This looks like it would fit you just right." She said as she held it up against Astrid. Who in turn, sighed, "I'm not really one for dresses though. This uniform's bad enough as it is, but I guess if it'll look normal around here it can't be all bad, right?" "Exactly right!" Lucy said with a huge smile, "Plus, it'll make you look darker because it contrasts your skin nicely. Oh, and it'll make your eyes seem brighter." They all laughed, and Astrid quickly changed into the dress. When the girls stepped outside, Peter and Edmund looked at Astrid with surprise. Peter complimented her, and then said that they should get moving. Edmund kept an eye on Astrid, looking her over, before quickly looking away, only to do the same thing a minute later. She rolled her eyes, '_Honestly, if he's trying to be discreet about it, he's not doing a very good job.'_ But even as she thought this, Astrid allowed herself a small smile.

She was going to finally ask for an explanation as to where they were, when she noticed that Edmund had a sword strapped to his side. With a pang in her chest, Astrid looked around with wild eyes towards the others and saw that they had weapons too. Peter had a sword and a shield at his side, Susan had a quiver of arrows and a bow, even Lucy had what looked to be a small dagger at her waist. Without thinking, Astrid called out, "Why do you all have weapons and I don't?" At this, all the Pevensies stopped cold and turned to the waiting girl behind them. When she was met with wide-eyed stares, Astrid said, "It's not that I'm mad, it's just.." she trailed off lamely. '_I want my sword here, with me. I need my Saiga.'_ They all looked at her sadly, and then Peter spoke up, "Do you think you could defend yourself without a weapon? I looked around but couldn't find any other swords or anything." He finished rather lamely. She only nodded quietly and walked on a while before looking back and seeing they hadn't moved. "Are you guys coming or not?" she called out with a small smile.

Soon they were all walking again, Astrid had dropped to the rear and thought about what Peter had asked her. '_Of course I can defend myself without a weapon. I've killed enemies with nothing but my claws, Sankon Tesso, Hijin Ketsuso, and Lightning Strike countless times. Hnn..if my senses are sharper here even in this disguise, could I be faster and stronger too? What if my powers are even stronger here than in my own world? I'll have to try this idea out some time, see if I'm right. But I'll save it for when the time comes, now is not the time to make them wonder about me.'_

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**Saiga- Japanese for "Crushing Fang". I took it from the name of InuYasha's sword, "Tessaiga", which means, "Iron-Crushing Fang"**

**Hijin Ketsuso- Means "Blades of Blood" a technique InuYasha uses to defeat enemies by combining it with Sankon Tesso-"Iron-Reaver Soul-Stealer", in which he dips his claws in either his own blood or that of enemies, and throwing youkai-charged shuriken-type things to cut through foes.**

**Please review!**


	5. You're Short, and You're Not Human

**A/N: I don't own Chronicles of Narnia, or any of the characters except my own. Enjoy, and tell me what you think. Any suggestions are welcome!**

**You're Short, You're Old, and You're Not Human**

Everyone was walking towards the shore, trying to figure out where to go from this point. Astrid was glad they had split up; she could test her speed and race around the beach to tell the others if she saw anything. As she ran along the sand, Astrid listened for any sounds that would give her a sign of where to go. All she could hear was the sound of the waves; she couldn't even hear animals from far away. '_That's so odd.' _she thought as she slowed to a walk. Soon she saw Edmund down by the water, who was just standing there, staring out into the waves. Astrid silently went to stand next to him before muttering, "I couldn't find anything, could you?" He jumped back and pulled his sword out, pointing it at Astrid. When he saw it was her, Edmund put his sword back into its sheath and said, "No, I couldn't find anything either." "Really? I passed by you twice already and you've been standing in the same exact spot." He chuckled, "Alright, you've caught me. I've just been thinking." Astrid nodded her head and the two looked out at the water.

"I've been meaning to ask..where are we? And how do you all seem to know this place?" Edmund sighed and said, "It's a very long story. You might not believe it, but the four of us lived here once. Lived a whole lifetime, in fact." She looked at him before saying, "Is that what you were thinking about? The last time you were here?" He nodded and said, "It's all so different from last time. Want to know what happened?" When Astrid eagerly nodded her head, Edmund laughed and began the story of the Pevensies' first time in Narnia. They walked along the shoreline as he told Astrid about how no one believed Lucy when she first told them about finding Narnia in the back of a wardrobe when they were playing hide-and-go-seek.

When he got to the part about him meeting some mad woman called the White Witch, his attitude completely changed. His face darkened and he spoke in short, clipped sentences. Astrid sensed that this was hard for Edmund to talk about, so she offered what comfort she could by putting a hand on his shoulder. He paused to look at her in surprise, then placed his hand over hers and gave a small squeeze, unknowingly causing Astrid's stomach to flutter, before continuing on with his story. Edmund had just got up to when he left his brother and sisters while at the Beavers' dam, when they heard Susan yell, "Drop him!"

The two ran to the eldest Pevensie girl and saw Peter and Lucy just getting to her. Edmund and Peter both drew their swords, while Susan already had her bow at the ready, pointing her arrow in the direction of what looked to be two soldiers drowning a small man in the river. They did drop him-unfortunately into the water, but hey, they dropped him. Susan shot one of the men, and the other jumped into the water and swam away. Peter and Edmund ran into the water, Peter soon came up with the small man, while Edmund struggled with pulling the boat to shore. Astrid ran to help him, and together they pulled the boat onto the sand. He threw her a smile in thanks, and she shakily returned it, as she had once again gotten butterflies in her stomach, this time when he flashed his grin.

The pair went to the others, who were standing around the dwarf that was currently coughing up water. Once he stood up he turned to Susan and exclaimed,

"'Drop him.' That's the best you could come up with."

A shocked Susan retorted, "A simple 'Thank you' would suffice."

The dwarf countered, "They were doing fine drowning me without your help."

"Maybe we should've let them." Interrupted Peter while shooting a glare towards the stranger.

"Why were they trying to kill you anyway?" Lucy asked.

With a sigh he said, "They're Telmarines. It's what they do."

Edmund spoke up this time, "Telmarines? In Narnia?"

"Where have you been the last for the last few hundred years?"

Lucy lightly joked, "It's a bit of a long story."

As Susan was handing Peter his sword, Astrid saw the dwarf's eyes widen before looking at the Pevensies. "Oh you've got to be kidding me." he groaned, "You're it? You're the Kings and Queens of Old." Astrid took their awkward silence as a time to interrupt. "Whoa! Hold on, you four were Kings and Queens?! But Edmund hadn't mentioned any of that." All of them turned to look at the slightly angered girl. "Way to ruin the story." She said as she sent a scowl towards the dwarf. Edmund smiled weakly and said, "Umm.. Long story short, we defeated the White Witch and became Kings and Queens of Narnia." Astrid huffed in annoyance; she had wanted to hear every part of the story. Peter looked at the dwarf before holding his hand out and introducing himself as, "High King Peter...the Magnificent." Astrid bit her lip to keep from laughing when the man looked at him as if to say, "Are you serious?" before Susan said, "You probably could've left off the last bit." She looked to see Edmund ducking his head as he smirked, he caught her eye and their grins widened as they shook with silent laughter.

The dwarf chuckled and agreed, "Probably." He looked at Astrid, studying her. When his eyes widened in shock and fear, she decided now was the time to see if her telepathy powers still worked. She reached into his mind in time to hear him think,

'_What is this..? What sort of creature is this?! It..it's not human or Narnian!' _

Before he could open his mouth, she fed the words, '_No, I'm not human, but I mean come on, you're short. Don't see what the big surprise is. Anyways, no one can know of this. It will ruin my chances. Please._

'_Chances at what?' _Trumpkin-Astrid had learned his name by looking deeper into his mind without him knowing-thought back at her.

'_A normal life. Well, as normal as it can get with these four.'_

She saw a smile in his eyes before he answered, '_Alright, you have my word. I won't say anything. But if they find out, it's your head.'_ She sent him a small smile in thanks before telling the others that she was going to check if the boat was tied securely to shore.

As she walked, Astrid wondered if she could really trust Trumpkin, how he knew that she wasn't really human, and if she could read the minds of the Pevensies. When Astrid got to the boat, she sat down on a rock to think about these questions.

'_Maybe there is magic in this place...after all, not all worlds have dwarves in them. It would also explain why my powers are stronger. Not as strong as in my own world, but definitely getting there, and it could change the longer I stay here. Would it be invading the privacy of my friends if I read their thoughts? They wouldn't know, but what if I slipped up and answered a question that they were thinking to themselves? What would they think..? I'll hold off trying for now, just a while longer.'_

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**Any reviews would be great **


	6. Dream Boat

**A/N: I had actually meant to make the last chapter a lot longer, but got too lazy to type it :P So instead, this chapter will be longer, hopefully. I don't own Chronicles of Narnia, or InuYahsa.**

**Dream Boat**

Astrid looked up when she heard the footsteps of the others. "We're going to a place called Aslan's How. From there we'll figure out what to do." Peter announced. Edmund walked over to Astrid and murmured, "I'll tell you the rest of the story, if you still want to hear it?" Astrid smiled and said, "Of course I still want to hear it."

Lucy figured that the boat would be slightly cramped, but all of them would fit if they squeezed together a bit. Trumpkin, Susan, and Lucy went first and sat while a thoughtful Peter, a cheerful Astrid, and disgruntled Edmund pushed the boat out of the shallow waters and into the river. Once everyone was situated and Peter started rowing in the direction Trumpkin pointed to, Astrid glanced at the teenage boy sitting extremely close to her. '_I wonder why he's so down all of a sudden.'_ She nudged him and whispered, "Why so down?" Edmund sighed, "This is just a bit unsettling. One year for us is 1300 for Narnia. Just thinking about how much everything has changed.." he trailed off. "Then don't. Just think about what's going on right here, right now." He smiled a bit, "I'll try to." "Just take it all in stride. Don't let anything overwhelm you." He smiled gratefully at Astrid, who returned the gesture.

After a few minutes of sitting in silence, Astrid realized how tired she was. She looked into the water sleepily, and then looked at Edmund's shoulder._ 'I wonder if he would mind..' _she thought drowsily. Astrid barely noticed that Lucy was looking at her in concern.

"Astrid? Are you ok?" she asked, a hint of worry in her voice.

"I'm fine..just a bit tired, 's all." was the reply she got.

Susan said, "Why don't you take a nap?"

"We're in a boat. Nowhere to lie down."

Peter chuckled and suggested, "Then rest your head on Ed's shoulder."

Astrid felt Edmund stiffen beside her before saying, "Umm, sure."

She muttered a soft "thank you" then laid her head on his shoulder and soon drifted off to sleep.

xx**Dream/Memory**xx

_Astrid was standing in a field, facing her opponent on the other side. His name was Makoto, and he was from the Southern Wolf-Youkai Tribe. Makoto did not live to his name, he was quite the troublesome wolf. Stealing, killing humans for sport, being a pathologic liar, and constantly challenging Koga, the Southern Wolf Youkai leader, for the spot of Alpha, were only a few of the things that made him so annoying to Astrid. _

"_Why are you alone out here, in the middle of a forest, my dear Princess?" Makoto sneered at her. Her fingers twitched toward the sheathed Saiga resting at her waist._

"_I was just passing through, wolf."_

_He glared at Astrid, "You're stepping into wolf territory. We are not friendly with your clan."_

_Astrid spoke in a flat voice, "If I remember correctly, this is the territory of Ayame's clan, the Northern Wolf Youkai. You belong in the south, what are you doing here?"_

_He ignored her question and spat, "It does not matter who rules where, you're in wolf territory!" before charging at her, claws at the ready. _

"_Baka," she muttered to herself, "when will he learn?" She dodged his claws and jumped away._

"_Is the Princess too scared to fight?" Makoto jeered at her, before racing towards her again._

_Her eyes narrowed in anger, and this time she let him hit. The impact should have knocked Astrid off her feet, but she held fast. Astrid quickly hooked one leg around his, trapping him while she punched his stomach and face. She then kicked him away from her before walking over to where he lay unconscious. _

"_Baka wolf, now I have to find Ayame." Astrid picked up Makoto and flung him over her shoulder before racing off toward the mountains over which Ayame ruled. She reached the treacherous region in no time, and went directly to the cave of the Northern Wolves. "Ayame, are you in here?" she called into the den. Soon a pretty girl with white fur shoulder pads, red hair that was in pig-tails, bright green eyes and an iris in her hair appeared and said, "What brings you here, Astrid?"_

"_This damn fool, Makoto, took it upon himself to deny me entrance into your territory." _

"_This is the one Koga complains about often, is he not?"_

_Astrid nodded with a smirk, "I guess so. I know he isn't part of your clan, but we were on the border of your territory. So I figured I could leave him here with you, and then find Koga to tell him what has happened."_

"_Of course, I would like to question this Makoto while you find Koga. Who does he think he is, a pack member of the south trying to enforce the laws of the north." Ayame sent the still-unconscious wolf a look of disgust._

_Astrid just said, "You know he'll do anything to get Alpha. Although why he wants it is beyond me."_

"_He's a power-hungry mongrel. Thank goodness Koga is more than strong enough to let Makoto defeat him."_

_Astrid nodded her agreement and decided now was the time for her to find Koga. Although she knew the politics of the wolves, she knew Koga and Ayame could deal with this pup without any help from her; she just wanted to get this over with. As she turned and walked to the edge of the cliff Ayame's den was facing, she called, "If I find Koga, I'll send him straight here." She took off without waiting for an answer._

_She ran over the forest floor and jumped into the trees, leaping from branch to branch. A while later, Astrid felt a disturbance in the air, but did not slow her pace, she didn't care what it was. All of a sudden, a giant bird youkai knocked Astrid from the branch she was on. 'Oh, this is just great.' She thought in annoyance. Astrid landed on her feet and drew Saiga. She knew that was just a common youkai, only smart enough to feed itself, unlike the daiyoukai she was. The bird screeched loudly and lunged at Astrid, its beak wide open. She leaped up and readied Saiga, she wanted to make this quick. Once the creature was close enough, Astrid swung Saiga and yelled, "Kaze no Kizu!" A blast of energy shot from her sword and went straight for the bird, instantly killing it. She moved to put Saiga back in its sheath, when it pulsed. _

'_What's going on, Saiga..?' she thought, when she heard her name being called. Astrid looked around, but only saw the forest. Then a distinct voice she recognized called out her name. It was Edmund._

_

* * *

_**Kaze no Kizu- "Wound of the Wind", an attack InuYasha uses with Tessaiga**

**Makoto- means "sincere, honest" a male Japanese name**

**Ayame- A character in InuYasha, she's the leader of the Nothern Wolf Tribe**

**Koga- Also in InuYasha, the leader of the Southern Wolf Tribe**

**Youkai- means "demon"**

**Daiyoukai- A very powerful type of youkai that is much stronger and smarter than the average youkai**

**Baka- means "foolish one; idiot" in Japanese**


	7. Reunion Too Bad it's not a Party

**A/N: Thank you to everyone who added my story to their Story Alert, or put me on their Favorite Stories, etc. It really means a lot to me. **** I don't own Chronicles of Narnia *le sigh* **

**Oh, I'm trying to come up with funny/witty titles for chapters. If you have-or haven't-noticed, I don't blame you for thinking I'm lame. Any suggestions would be rad..reviews would be too ;)**

**Reunion (Too Bad it's Not a Party)**

Astrid woke up to the feeling of Edmund lightly shaking her shoulder and gently calling her name. "Wa's going on?" she mumbled sleepily. "We've stopped; we have to continue on foot from here." "Oh, ok then." But she made no move to get up. Edmund sighed as he slowly got up, laying her down in the boat. Soon Astrid jumped up with a cry of shock as the boat violently rocked to and fro, splashing water onto her. She hopped out of the boat, only to find her feet and the hem of her dress meet the riverbed. She glared and trudged onto the sand to see Edmund and Trumpkin laughing loudly.

"That _isn't funny!"_

"Oh I beg to differ." Edmund managed to gasp between laughs.

Astrid growled and turned away from them to ask Peter what they were going to do next. But when she turned, she saw Lucy walking towards a black bear. _'Something doesn't seem right about this."_ When she caught what Lucy was saying to the bear and saw the look it its eye, she knew they had to act fast. The others noticed and shouted at the youngest Pevensie to stay still. She did, but then the bear charged at her. Susan was trying to get a clear shot, but was taking too long. Lucy fell down; the bear was looming over her when a sharp _twang_ sounded from behind Astrid. Trumpkin had shot his own arrow into the beast. Everyone ran to Lucy to see if she was alright. Peter held Lucy while she wondered aloud why the bear couldn't talk, why it attacked her. Trumpkin's gruff reply was, "You get treated like a dumb beast long enough, you start to act like one."

Once everyone was calm, they tried to figure out how to get to Aslan's How. "We'll just cross the River Rush, simple as that." Peter announced. Trumpkin disagreed, but Peter insisted they go his way. After walking through forests endlessly, Astrid began to think they were lost. '_Maybe I'll go on my own for a bit.'_ She called to Trumpkin, who was the nearest to her, and told him she'd be back.

"Where are you going?" he eyed her curiously.

"Just to look around, go ahead and find out where we'll end up." With that, Astrid dashed off into the trees. As she leaped onto a branch, she thought of something that made her stop. _'If the others ask, tell them.. I needed to sit down and I'll be catching up soon, not to worry.' _She projected the thought to him, who just nodded in reply.

Once she was amongst the branches, Astrid thought about her dream. _'I was in my old body. I had my claws, sword, and powers. And I was undefeatable. I was in the Sengoku Jidai. ' _Astrid was forced to stop as the next branch she landed on overlooked a deep gorge. She sat down and took in the sight of the plants and trees around her, a wave of melancholy and nostalgia hit her. _'I never realized how hard it would be without my sword and friends. I didn't think I would miss them so much.'_

A warm breeze hit her, causing her hair to blow about. _'This hair is not mine. This body is not mine. How much longer until I can truly be myself? Until we get to wherever we're going? I need to know things will get better soon.' _She leaned back against the trunk, closing her eyes as she felt the warm wind blow around her. After what seemed like a few minutes, Astrid opened her eyes to see that the Pevensies and Trumpkin were right below her. She quickly stood and jumped to a branch a few feet behind the group, careful not to tear her dress any more than she already had. Astrid didn't make a sound as she dropped down to the forest floor. She went up behind the others and tiredly said, "I thought I'd never catch up to you guys!" she saw the looks on their faces and whispered to Trumpkin, "What's wrong?"

"Peter's led us to a dead end. He says it used to be a river. Bah, my foot." He grumbled. Astrid peered over the edge. "Is there any way down?" "Not that we know of, no." Susan murmured. They were going to turn back and find another way when Lucy cried, "It's Aslan!" while looking across to the other side of the gorge. Astrid looked and her breath left her in a quiet sigh. Standing there in the sunlight was a magnificent, golden lion. It gave her a knowing look, its eyes full of wisdom and love.

'_Are you..are you Aslan?' _she slowly projected her thoughts to the beautiful lion.

'_Yes, I am Aslan, the creator of Narnia.' _He looked at Astrid, _I know what you are, Dear Princess. I have felt your sorrow and longing for a familiar belonging from your own world. It is time you were reunited with Saiga.' _

Astrid gasped in disbelief and wonder. '_I don't know what to say other than you, Great Aslan. Your gift of generosity will not be wasted.' _She vowed in her thoughts.

His golden eyes held a smile. '_Do not think you have to make any vows or promises to me. Just use your gift to protect your beloved friends, and my Narnia.'_

Astrid lightly bowed her head. '_I will do whatever I can to ensure my friends and the Narnians remain safe until this journey is over.'_

Aslan beamed at her, and Astrid felt a warm feeling of love and hope fill her from head to toe.

'_And do not worry, Dear Astrid, the time to reveal yourself will come soon enough. But when it does, do not let the reactions of those around you affect you. Be proud of who and what you are, Princess.' _And with that, he vanished.

* * *

Astrid looked around and saw that the others had started to move away, all except Lucy. She stayed, staring at the spot Alsan had been standing until she turned around too and followed the others. Astrid was about to follow, when she saw a katana shining in the sunlight. Right where Aslan had been standing. Her heart swelled with love and excitement, and Astrid teleported to the other side. With a shaking hand, she picked up the sheathed weapon. Saiga pulsed in her hand, glad to be back where it belonged. She cradled the rusty sword to her chest, and then tied the belt it was attached to around her waist. _'Finally, we are together again.'_ She quickly released a flow of youkai through the hand that was touching Saiga, and saw as it surrounded the sword and her belt in a shimmering light blue before making both invisible.

She leaped across to the other side and joined everyone else again. Astrid was in a state of euphoria, often sighing in happiness, grinning like a fool whenever one of her friends caught her eye. It did not go unnoticed, as Edmund found it quite strange that Astrid was so intensely happy while everyone else was tired and distraught. "_Why are you so happy when everyone else is miserable?"_ seemed like a bad way to put it, so Edmund opted for, "Someone's rather cheerful all of a sudden."

Astrid looked at him and said, "I just feel better than I have in ages." While sending him a lopsided grin.

He found it irresistible to not return her smile and asked, "Mind telling me why?"

She shook her head, "That, my dear friend is a secret." She winked, patted his shoulder, and walked on without looking at him again. Even though she had turned quickly, Astrid had not missed seeing Edmund's face turn red and his mouth open slightly when she winked. She could only hope he didn't see that her own blush spread across her face.

* * *

**Astrid can teleport..did I forget to mention that..? Well, yeah. She can. Surprise! :D**

**If you found the Astrid-uses-her-youkai-to-conceal-Saiga confusing, I'll explain when she tells them what she really is, in due time. **

**So what do you guys think of it so far? Do you think there are any changes I should make; is there anything I could improve on? Any feedback would be fantastical.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hii!**

**I'm SOOOO incredibly sorry I haven't posted anything in FOREVER! **** I truly feel horrible and don't blame you if you want to throw rocks at me. I let my friend borrow the notebook I write this story in the day before the last day of school, and I couldn't find her on the last day. I never got my notebook back, so I couldn't finish writing the chapter, and couldn't type it either! On the same day (last day of school), I had to go back there to meet with my German class, as I was part of the exchange program my school has with a school in Goslar, Germany. We were there for 2 weeks, and when I came back I was planning on meeting up with my friend to get my notebook back, only to have her tell me she was in military camp(the torture!) in Ohio or something like that. Anyways, I know this isn't much of an explanation, but because of this, and Band Camp coming up soon, I won't be able to post anything until maybe early September. **

**For those of you who don't know what band camp is, it's this:**

**Everyone in band goes to the school at a ridiculously early time, and is there all day.**

**We learn the music we'll be playing at competitions, football games, parades, etc.**

**It's every day for 2 weeks.**

**Since I'm in the drum line- a completely separate unit from the marching band- we sometimes have rehearsals after everyone else leaves. And clinics are from 8 am to 4 pm.**

**Along with that up there, I also have to juggle doing my school work, spending time with non-band friends, family, competitions every weekend, football games, and trying to find time to visit my boyfriend who lives a few cities away. Again, I know this isn't much of an excuse, and I'm really really sorry. I've been thinking about where I want to go with the story, but I honestly can't post anything up here until I have my notebook back. I hope you will all be interested enough to keep reading when I get back into it. If not, I completely understand. Thank you.**


	9. Having Another Half Is Annoying

**A/N: Finaaallly! :DD I'm SOOO SORRY I've kept you all waiting! I've been writing as much as I can with what free time I have. Which isn't much, band takes up my whole life, and when I'm not at rehearsal I'm doing homework :P I won't have as much time to post because competition season has started and we've been going to competitions literally every weekend and will be until Thanksgiving break. I really hope you guys haven't lost interest, for those of you who've been reading since the beginning. And I hope you new readers don't lose interest as it goes on. Enjoy! **

**P.S. For those of you who don't remember, Astrid's 'other self' made an appearance in "Chapter 2: There is No Us" it's sort of an entity/being Astrid keeps inside herself. I don't want to say too much, so I'll leave at this: they can communicate at will, just choose not to. Until now..**

**Chapter 8: Having another Half is Annoying**

'_What do you think you are doing?' _cried the beast in Astrid's head.

'_Why do you care all of a sudden?'_ she countered.

'_You're going around acting like a human, but that doesn't mean you should grow feelings for one of them.'_

'_Oh shut up, I can do whatever I want. It's different here.' _

Her other self growled, _'Yes, it is different. This body is as strong as we were in our world, just imagine how much stronger we'll be when you finally let go of this! And besides, think of what will happen when you release us from this body. Do you think the boy will still have feelings for you? What about the other humans, and the dwarf? You've been lying to them since we came to their world, and now this one too! They won't trust us anymore. If we really do end up stronger than we already are, what will you do if you accidentally hurt one of them? What if you hurt the boy, Edmund? You need to think about these things!'_

There was silence between the two. _'…You're right. But I'll be careful, I promise.' _ Astrid quietly said.

'_Promises aren't good enough, girl. You have to protect these humans, that is what the nekko said. That's why he gave you Saiga. It seems you're just going to be their bodyguard.' _

Astrid's anger rose, but diminished when she realized the truth of the beast's words. _'If what you say is all true, then I'd rather go off on my own so I don't worry about hurting my friends, be it now or later on. I know Aslan wants me to protect them, but I can't do it without being scared of what I could possibly do.' 'The giant nekko knows what we are. He knows what we can do, and he thinks we'll be able to do our job. Have faith in Aslan, even if he is a nekko.' _Astrid bit back a growl, _'Just because Aslan is a nekko doesn't mean you can take a jab at him like that .I know the Nekko-Youkai didn't get along with our own clan, but we're not in the Sengoku Jidai anymore. We're in Narnia now, a world created by a lion. We must accept everyone here, be they human, cat, horse, or dog if they are going to accept us.' _

'_That's exactly it though..Will they?'_ Astrid sighed as the beast retreated. As annoying, manipulative, and greedy as the creature could be, she knew it was right, and she had trust in Aslan and herself to keep her friends safe, be it from danger or from herself.

The group continued to march along, Astrid wasn't really sure where, but she had heard Trumpkin say something about a place called Beruna. After what felt like an hour, she heard shouting in the distance. No one else could hear it, but Astrid was immediately on her guard. She could also hear horses among the voices, and she smelled freshly chopped wood.

There were many trees blocking her vision, but she could just make out something blue-gray, with rocks on either side. '_It's a river, I think. But it's still, shouldn't it be running?'_ As they slowly got closer, Astrid felt her stomach tighten with nerves, and not the good kind. Her muscles slowly became more and more tense, until she almost froze on the spot. When there was a tap on her shoulder, Astrid whirled around, trying her best not to reach for Saiga. When she saw it was Peter, Astrid quickly righter herself with a sigh of relief.

He gave her a confused look and slowly said, "Are you alright? You're acting a bit odd, like you're on edge." "I'm fine, Peter. My stomach just feels a bit funny."

"Is it because of a certain boy with black hair who's name starts with 'E'?" he smirked.

Astrid laughed a bit and shook her head in denial. "No, it has nothing to do with Edmund. Why do you mention him?"

Peter smirked again and lightly chuckled, "He's been staring at you since we were at the gorge."

"He..he has? Astrid showed no sign of what she was thinking, acting indifferent to the news.

"Well, not exactly staring. He's been ogling you for a minute or so, barely missing running into trees, then going back to looking at you."

"Hmm..well I didn't notice at all." Astrid looked away in thought. Peter patter her shoulder and said, "Sure you didn't." his voice filled with sarcasm.

As he walked on ahead of her the beast growled, _'Already the boy is growing feelings for you. Do not lead him on.'_ Astrid huffed, _Well how will I be leading him on if I really do feel the same?' _

In a surprisingly gentle tone, the beast said, _'If you don't want to hurt him, you should stop this before it gets bad.'_

'_How do you know it'll get bad? How does anyone know?'_

Still in a soothing tone, the beast replied, _'I don't. I am merely being cautious. For both your sake and his.'_ It retreated with a soft murmur, _'I'll be watching and communicating with you a lot more from now on.'_

Astrid looked over towards Edmund. He seemed normal enough; he was walking behind Lucy and talking with Trumpkin. He looked around the forest and Astrid was quick to avert her eyes when he looked at her. She glanced over to see that he was still looking at her.

The two had a small staring contest until Astrid made a face at him, which made him burst out laughing. Trumpkin gave her a look but just chuckled when she made the same face at him. Astrid giggled and walked to catch up with Susan."How've you been since we got here?" she quietly asked the pretty girl.

Susan sighed, "I've been alright. Wearing these clothes and having my bow and arrow make me feel at home again. I'm happier walking around a forest in a Narnia that's changed than I was in England. Yet some part of me can't help but wonder if this time we'll be able to stay here, forever instead of getting sent back. I'm not treated like Queen Susan the Gentle in England, and I've gotten used to it, accepted it, and tried to move on. But it's hard, like I have to put on a mask, become a new person. I'm sorry if I'm not making any sense, this has gotten me a bit out of sorts."

Astrid smiled and said, "No, I understand what you mean. Why don't you act like the queen you are in England? Why pretend?"

Susan murmured, "I really don't know. I tried for a time, I really did, but all it did was make my peers think I'm weird and my teachers wonder about my attitude change. I didn't like it, so I stopped."

Astrid frowned in thought. _'She's used to being treated like a regular girl, instead of the queen she really is. I would never forget who I am. I'll act differently if need be, but I wouldn't forget my birthright and royal status.'_

"Hmm..I think, that as long as you don't forget who you really are, you can pretend. Just don't lose sight of yourself."

"Susan gave her a confused look, "But how do I not forget? How can I remember?"

"Look at your brothers and sister. They'll make you remember who you are. All you have to do is look at them and you'll see the greatness of Narnia in them, showing no matter what."

Susan smiled as Astrid put her arm around her shoulder, and did the same with Astrid. The two girls walked on in comfortable silence.

Not long after, Astrid could make out what the shouts she had heard earlier were about. The people in the distance were trying to build a bridge. She could also see the numerous felled trees in the area they were working in. She looked around and could tell that everyone else had finally heard the noise too.

Peter and Edmund silently drew their swords, Trumpkin and Susan their bows. They slowly crept nearer, until they found a place where they could hide without being seen. No one could really see what was going on, they were hiding behind a pile of logs. Astrid could hear every little thing that was being said, but it was hard to concentrate with others yelling, horses neighing, and Edmund breathing in what he supposed was a silent way. Because it was hard to concentrate on every conversation, Astrid caught bits and pieces of who she assumed were in charge were saying.

She picked up key phrases or words like "Prince Caspian", "Ghosts in the night", "Lord Miraz", and "Old Narnia", but soon after that it seemed the conversation had ended. Slowly they crept away from their hiding spot and back into the forest. Lucy was the first to start asking questions. "Were they the Telmarines you were talking about earlier? What were they trying to build?" Everyone looked at Trumpkin expectantly. He told them who Prince Caspian was, and that he had run away when his uncle, Lord Miraz tried to kill him.

Caspian fled the castle he lived in and found the Old Narnians, who he thought to be extinct. He wants to take his crown back and restore the land to its rightful owners. Miraz had men hunting down Caspian, trying to capture him. "Which is why they're trying to build a bridge?" questioned Astrid, and she was right.

Everyone decided that they needed to find Caspian as soon as possible, and help him beat Lord Miraz so the Narnians could have their land back and live without fear. Once they started walking, the group fell into silence. It went on that way for a while, until they heard a yelp, followed by a _thud_ and a groan of pain. They turned around to see Lucy had disappeared.

Soon everyone started laughing as they realized she had tripped and was hidden by the tall undergrowth of the forest. Astrid went to pull Lucy up from the ground. "Are you ok?" she asked with a chuckle. Lucy sat up with a look of exhilaration on her face, "Oh, yes I'm fine. Funny wasn't it?" she asked with a huge smile. Astrid laughed and said, "Hilarious, Lucy."

After picking up Lucy and setting her on her feet-on the other side of Saiga, even though the sword couldn't been seen it could still be felt-the group went back on their way. After madly wandering around the forest, they were able to find a way down the gorge and settled down in a clearing to rest for the night.

Once the group was fed and warmed by the fire they had made, everyone lay down to get some sleep. Peter and Trumpkin had been the first to fall asleep, much to everyone's expectations. Astrid lay between Susan and Edmund, listening to their quiet voices.

Soon Astrid turned to the dark-haired Pevensie and asked, "Edmund, will you finish telling me the story about your first time here?"

"But you already know what happens."

She glanced at him, "So? I want to know what happened with that mad woman you met."

Edmund sighed and said, "Alright, fine. I'll tell you the rest but mind you, I don't know much of what the others did after I left them at Beaver's Dam."

He looked at her, and Astrid nodded her head and gave him a small smile. Edmund continued the story, telling her what his time with the White Witch had been like, how he was rescued and forgiven by Aslan, the battle he participated in, and being stabbed in the stomach by the Witch when he broke her wand.

Astrid had turned towards him and put her hand on his shoulder again when it got too hard for him to keep talking. When Edmund finally finished the story, everyone else was already asleep and the fire had gone nearly all the way out. They lied in silence for a few minutes before Astrid took and deep breath and said, "Wow, that's amazing.. I'm sorry you had to go through such horrible treatment."

Edmund turned onto his side so he was facing her and said, "It's ok, I was a downright git then, I deserved it."

Astrid replied, "It doesn't matter how terrible you were before, no one deserves to go through that."

Edmund sighed and didn't respond. Astrid continued, "But it made you a much better person. I can see now why you do so many good things for your brother and sisters."

The youngest Pevensie boy sighed again, but this time spoke. "I suppose you're right. I'm still trying to make it up to them, even though I've already spent a lifetime doing it."

Astrid grinned a bit and said, "So long as you don't spend two lifetimes doing it. At some point you're going to have to live for yourself, free of the guilt."

"Yeah.. You're right."

"Glad you see it my way. Now, go to sleep, it's late."

"Yes, mum." Astrid laughed softly at his sarcastic tone and said, "Goodnight Edmund."

"Goodnight Astrid. Sweet dreams. And.. Thanks."

She smiled and thanked the stars that the fire had gone out completely a few minutes ago, for the darkness hid the blush that had risen when his hand found hers. She hadn't realized she'd kept her hand on his shoulder until he gently squeezed her own. Astrid squeezed his hand back and with that, they both fell asleep, facing each other with their fingers intertwined and smiles on their faces.

**A/N: Pleease tell me what you guys think! Again, I'm terribly sorry for the over-due update. I really hope you all still like it! I'll try to update faster if I can, but no guarantees, real life often gets in the way.**


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